Seven Things I Hate About Spiritual Formation
John Ortberg: The phrase “spiritual formation” expresses the most important process in the world. But it also drives me crazy. . . So here are a few items I need to get off my chest.
Can You Turn Off the Machine?
Maura Thomas of The Harvard Business Review: Our dysfunctional relationship with work email has become so normal, I’m not sure most of us can even see it anymore. . . When your work precludes physical and emotional well-being, your pursuit of productivity will be destined to fail. And if conventional wisdom now says that constant work is necessary for professional success, I can’t think of a more important time to buck convention.
Abiding in Christ is Life. No Abiding, No Life.
Jack Hayford: Jesus wants us to experience, sustain and enjoy a personal, intimate walk with Him. It isn’t that He’s disinterested in the demands of our daily duty or the pressures of our private world. Far from it. He just knows that the fountainhead of life is with Him. He is the Source of everything
You Can Learn a Lot About YOU From Carrots, Eggs & Coffee
Upmoments: What do you do when life gets hot and things don’t go right? What you will DO depends on who you ARE . . .
The Most Important Ear in Worship
Matthew Westerholm: It is implicit in our worship, but too seldom is it mentioned. When we gather to worship at our local churches, behind all our prayers and all our songs, behind all our exhortations and all our encouragements, is this stunning truth: God hears. . .
Why You Need a Tough Love Life Coach
Emily Martin: This is a brief ad for the coaching service of Ms. Martin, but she makes a great case for finding and sticking with a touch life coach. A life coach comes with benefits that you might not expect. You need a tough love life coach because they can help you get through many of life’s issues without coddling you in any way. Why you need one of these tough love coaches to help you. –
3 Truths About the Dark Night of the Soul
Chuck DeGroat: As a pastor and therapist, I often encounter people whose lives have been invaded by despair. Often they approach me, not quite sure what’s going on. “Maybe I’m going crazy. Or perhaps I’m just depressed. Can you help?” Here are three ways I’ve found to understand these “dark nights of the soul.”
Why 734 Pastors Quit (And How Their Churches Could Have Kept Them)
LifeWay Research: A recent study by LifeWay Research points to ways churches can encourage pastors to stay in the ministry. Almost half of those who left the pastorate said their church wasn’t doing any of the kinds of things that would help.
Keeping Your Soul. An Interview With John Ortberg
John Ortberg: According to a Harris Interactive poll, a majority of Americans believe humans have a soul and that it could survive after death. Speaker, author, and pastor John Ortberg (@johnortberg) goes further to say the health of a person’s soul is the hinge on which the rest of life hangs; the difference between deep, satisfied spirituality and a restless, dispassionate faith . . .
The Greatest Obstacle You Face to Being the Leader You Want to Be Is Inside You.
Harry R. Jackson, Jr: In reality, we can only focus effectively on one thing at a time. Godly leaders ensure that the “one thing” they focus on matters in eternity, not just for today. Godly leaders do not make excuses, but hold themselves accountable. This is especially true concerning how they spend their time. How often do we regret that a task went uncompleted or a project had to be dropped? Yet too often we found time to watch television, check social media or surf the internet . . .
ONLINE TEST: 16 Personalities
16PERSONALITIES: Take our Personality Test and get a ‘freakishly accurate’ description of who you are and why you do things the way you do. (Not associated with JPC)
9 Signs You Are Burnt Out
Carey Nieuwhof: More than most environments, ministry combines what you do (your work) with what you believe (your faith) and your community (your congregation/friends). Without skillful navigation, that can create a roller coaster of emotions that push leaders toward burnout. So how do you know if you’re heading for burnout?
The Path to Humility
Erik Raymond of The Gospel Coalition: One thing we can be sure of is that we all need to work on humility. It is an amazing thing to know that whoever reads these words, in varying degrees, is prideful. So how do we grow in humility? What is the path from pride to humility?
How To Care For Your Soul
Shawn Young of Intervarsity: Do you ever get tired of trying to take care of all your “stuff”? There is more to us than our possessions. We have an inner life—a soul—which, while invisible to the outside world, is very real and of utmost importance. Your soul is a living thing that needs nurture, care and attention. But what exactly does a soul need?
Worn and New
Paul David Tripp: When the world wears on us and wears us thin, God has a renewal for us and already at work in us, if we will avail ourselves of it. It’s new every morning. Great refresher.
The 3 Most Profound Ideas I've Ever Had
Peter Kreeft: Ideas are more precious than diamonds. The three most precious ideas I have ever discovered all concern the love of God. None of them is original. But every one is revolutionary. None of them came from me. But all of them came to me with sudden force and fire: the “aha!” experience, the “eureka!” experience. They were all realizations, not just beliefs . . .
Over-Complicating Accountability
Barnabas Piper: We’ve made accountability way too complicated . . . Accountability has become a formal word associated with groups and meetings and appointments . . . Accountability really only has two main ingredients . . .
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